Coastal attractions

Marinated dishes are also typical of Chaoshan cuisine, where the goose dishes are a highlight. Each part of the bird-head, feet, breast, wings or liver-has its own special flavor when marinated. Marinated goose head is seen as the ultimate poultry dish from the region.

According to Yang, the best goose meat comes from the birds in their first year, and the feet and wings are edible in older birds, but the heads are not edible until the geese reach their fourth year.

"The other parts of a 4-year-old goose are not that delicious. That's why the head is so expensive," says Yang.

Boiled and sliced Zhanjiang-style chicken is a dish that uses free-range chickens aged between 120 and 130 days that are sourced from the city in the southwest of Guangdong.

Fried pork and shrimp meat balls is a traditional local snack which uses fried tofu skin to make a wrap of diced shrimp, pork and water chestnuts.

Moving to Beijing in 2008, Yang joined the team at Chao Cafe two years ago. When he first arrived in Beijing, he discovered that most Chaoshan restaurants in the capital seemed rather expensive, but over the past few years, he has noticed more small restaurants specializing in Chaoshan cuisine have been popping up across the city.

"The key to Chaoshan cuisine is its unique, fresh ingredients, which can never be replaced. Each season, there are different fresh ingredients to cook," says Yang. "My goal is simply to take the authentic flavors from my hometown to distant corners of the world."